1. FC Köln was eliminated in the first round of the DFB Cup. The Effzeh lost after penalties in Regensburg. Bayer Leverkusen had previously been eliminated.
For Steffen Baumgart and 1. FC Köln, the long-awaited trip to Berlin ended after the first stop. The Rhinelanders fought back after losing 2-0 at SSV Jahn Regensburg, but were unable to avert their defeat in the first round of the DFB Cup when they went 3-4 on penalties. After extra time, the passionate cup fight on Saturday was 2-2 (2-2, 1-2).
The stubborn league leaders of the 2nd Bundesliga can hope for a similarly furious cup trip as in 2020/2021, when after three victories on penalties it was only the last stop in the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Dejan Stovanovic saved against Julian Chabot and finally Kingsley Ehizibue, on the other side Cologne’s Timo Horn could not be overcome only by Benedikt Saller.
Fire in the game from the start
Andreas Albers (18th minute) and Prince Owusu (27th) quickly put Cologne under enormous pressure in front of 13,236 spectators in Regensburg. One week before the start of the Bundesliga against FC Schalke 04, Mark Uth (28th) and Dejan Ljubicic (63rd) gave the guests hope for a conciliatory first game.
From the beginning there was fire in this game – and also smoke. Cologne fans burned off pyrotechnics before kick-off. Red plumes of smoke drifted through the stadium.